


Knowing The Farmer

by guttergod



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-02-18 23:30:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22434940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guttergod/pseuds/guttergod
Summary: Sam wants to get to know the farmer better.
Relationships: Abigail/Sebastian (Stardew Valley), Sam/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Sam/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 59





	1. The Farmer

“Oh, hey farmer. It’s been awhile.”

The farmer almost dropped their fishing rod. Why she was out fishing in the pouring rain, Sam had no idea. But he’d noticed her through his window and decided to say hi.   
It had been ages since they had last talked. She hadn’t been in town. The farmer hadn’t shown up for any festivals either, not even the Feast of the Winter Star. Now the flower dance was coming up.  
The farmer spared him a quick glance, then went back to fishing. Sam shrugged and stayed standing beside her, rambling about the Solarion Chronicles (and how much he sucked at it) and music he'd been making to fill the silence.   
After a while Sam went back into his house and came back with an umbrella. “You’re soaked,” he told the farmer, holding the umbrella above them.

“That’s fine,” the farmer replied stubbornly. But still she moved closer to Sam. He brushed a strand of wet hair out of her face, to which she rolled her eyes. 

Eventually the evening snuck up on them. They sat together by the riverbank, umbrella propped up so they were still covered. The farmer was done with fishing. She had a ton of fish piled up in a bucket next to her. Sam was impressed. She could certainly out-fish his dad. And everyone else in town.  
“So… haven’t seen you at any of the festivals. You coming to the flower dance?” Sam questioned.

“Huh? No, I’m way too busy. I don’t have time.” 

“But you haven’t been to any of them.”

“Yeah. I’m busy. Like I said.” She set her jaw. 

Sam pouted. “But I like having you around. It’ll be fun! I mean the dancing kinda sucks and all but…. Fun!”

The farmer snorted. “Yeah, no.” 

Sam opened his mouth to argue again, but then his front door swung open. “Sam! Mum says you have to come home now!” Vincent called out.

“Coming, Vince!” Sam yelled back. “I’m a grown man...” He muttered to himself. He heard the farmer quietly giggling at him, so he rounded on her. “Hey, just because you don’t have a bedtime doesn’t mean you can laugh at me!” 

“Yeah?” Her eyes twinkled with amusement. 

“Shut up.” He booped her nose. “Anyway, I have to go or mum’ll have a fit. It was nice seeing you.” Sam got up and started walking home. Before going inside he turned back and yelled, “Come to the festival! I’ll save a dance just for you!”

The farmer rolled her eyes and waved goodbye. “I’ll think about it.”

Good enough, Sam thought.   
He greeted his mum by kissing her on the forehead and started helping her clean up, all while thinking about the farmer. He hoped she’d take him up on his offer, though she didn’t seem too enthusiastic.   
Nevertheless, Sam wanted to see her again.


	2. The Flower Dance

The day Sam had been dreading had arrived. The flower dance. The day all the kids were forced into uncomfortable outfits and made to do a ridiculous dance to entertain all the adults. Even though the “kids” were definitely adults too and had been for some time.

“Oh, Sam, you look so handsome,” Jodie cooed, adjusting his tie. 

“Thanks mum. You know I wear the same suit every year?” Sam replied, fussing with his hair. Why could he never get it to sit right?

“Even so, it looks good on you.” She smiled lovingly at him, though the bags under her eyes were apparent.

“You didn’t need to stay up all night to get it ready. You look tired.” 

“Don’t be silly. You finish getting ready, I’m going to see what Vincent is up to.” She kissed his cheek and left.

Sam stared at himself. The suit was awful. It definitely didn’t look good on him. It was itchy and hung off him awkwardly. But his mum loved it, so he couldn’t say no to it.  
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Maybe it won’t be too bad. Maybe the farmer will show up.

Everyone was gathered at the field that hosted the flower dance. Sam was hiding in one of the corners of the field with Sebastian and Abigail, listening to them talk while using his phone. They made him a major third wheel.

“I am not looking forward to this,” Abby said. 

“Who is? The flower dance is just some outdated tradition to make our parents feel young again,” Seb scoffed. 

“I know, right? And these dresses- oh, hey, is that the farmer?” 

Sam looked up from his phone to see Abby pointing at someone. It was the farmer. And clearly she got the memo for what to wear and threw it away, because she looked stunning.  
Instead of an ancient white dress that looked like it came from a time where women couldn’t show their ankles, she wore a white minidress with a low neckline and a lot of that scandalous ankle.   
The mums, Marnie and Emily had already surrounded her to fawn over her and her dress.

“Damn. She looks hot.” Abby stated. Sam and Sebastian stared at her. “What? It’s true.” Sebastian shrugged and Sam nodded. “But why does she get to wear something cute? God, I knew I should’ve just worn something different, but mum almost threw a fit. It’s not fair.”

Sebastian snorted. “My mum doesn’t care as long as I show up. Sam, didn’t you want to dance with the farmer?”

“Uh… yeah?”

“Yeah? Go ask her then!” Abby shoved him towards her.

Everyone that had been surrounding the farmer had moved on, and now she was standing alone awkwardly. Lewis announced that the dance was going to start soon. Sam took a deep breath and sauntered over.   
“M’lady,” He bowed and extended his hand. “May I have this dance?”

The farmer laughed and took his hand. “Why, of course.”

He led her over to the dance floor. “You look great by the way.” 

“Thanks. Lewis doesn’t seem too happy though.” She nodded her head towards the mayor, who was watching them with a displeased look on his face. 

“Eh, I’ve never met someone as obsessed with traditions as that man. We all make fun of him for it, don’t worry.” 

She giggled and they took their positions. 

“But God, I can’t believe you,” Sam shook his head. A look of confusion and worry grew on her face. “I can’t believe your dress is pure white when clearly everyone else is wearing off-white. I’m hurt and insulted.” 

“Oh, shut up.” The farmer hit his arm playfully. “You’re just jealous that I look better than all of you combined.”’

Sam fake gasped and his hand flew to his chest. “You, ma’am, are truly vile.” He smiled when the farmer burst out into laughter. 

Lewis interrupted them to announce that the dance was starting now. The music started and all the pairs began to dance. “This dance sucks,” The farmer muttered.

“Yeah, I warned you.”

“You begged me to come!”

“Shush. Let’s just make the dance more interesting.”

The farmer raised a brow. “Yeah? Alright.” 

Sam didn’t expect that reply, so he panicked and started doing the cha cha slide. It was the only dance he knew and he learnt it in fifth grade.

“Dude, what are you doing? Here.” She grabbed his hands and put them on her waist. “You’re going to lift me up.”

“Wait, what?”

“Okay, 3.. 2.. 1.. Go!” 

He used all his strength to hoist the farmer into the air. Some people had noticed them while Sam was cha cha sliding, but now all eyes were on them. Next to him, Abby and Sebastian were smirking. Sam gently brought the farmer back down and spun her around as the music ended. 

Sam and the farmer stared at each other, faces flushed. “You’re right. This was fun.” She beamed. Sam felt his face heat up as she smiled so sweetly at him.  
Sam felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked over to see Sebastian. “Break it up lover-boy, you’ve upset our good mayor.”   
Lewis was definitely pissed. But everyone else loved their little performance. He knew his mum would be inviting the farmer over for dinner later this week, just by the look on her face, and Vince was giving him a big thumbs up. 

He heard the farmer snicker and turned his attention back to her. “God, his face. I wish i could get a picture. Hey Sam, I’ve gotta get back to work.” She patted his shoulder. “I’ll see you around.” And with that, she waved and walked off.

“W-what?” 

“Oh, rough.” Abby had appeared by his side. “But hey, she said she’ll see you around. That’s good, right?” 

“Yeah but now he has to deal with Lewis on his own. She just ditched him.” Sebastian replied.

They both laughed as Sam watched her walk off, thinking of the way she made him feel confused and his face heat up. Who knew farmers were so good at dancing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole "doing a different dance" was inspired by another fic I once read ages ago, though I don't remember what it was called.


	3. The Saloon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, how do you like... write?

Sam had just finished up at work and was heading home when the farmer walked out of Pierre’s store. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but then he remembered the flower dance. His face reddened as he thought of his hands on her waist, her captivating smile and the way she’d made him feel. So instead he swerved to hide behind the saloon and just hoped that she didn’t decide to get a drink. Sam didn’t realise how strange it was for him to be sitting right next to the garbage bins til Shane walked by and shot him a weird look. He stood back up, embarrassed, and decided to head into the saloon to grab a Joja Cola. He sent Sebastian and Abby a text telling them to come down and hang out with him there.

“Go, go, go, go- Aw!” Sam, Seb and Abby were clustered around the Journey of the Prairie King, taking turns to try and beat it. They weren’t having any luck with that.  
“This game is impossible,” Abby groaned, pressing her forehead against the arcade machine in defeat.

“It’s bullshit,” Sebastian agreed, brushing his dark fringe out of his eyes.

“Let me try.” Sam nudged them out of the way. He grabbed the joystick and started the game. He was so invested in the game, desperately trying to beat it, that he didn’t hear the saloon door open. It wasn’t until he heard Gus say “Good evening farmer. Can I get you anything?”  
Sam jerked up from the machine, losing his last life. He heard her ask for a beer then after getting it look around for a place to sit. They locked eyes and Sam started sweating as she came over.

“Hey!” Abby called out, waving at the farmer.

“Hi Abigail,” The farmer replied, nodding at Sebastian as greeting. Then she turned to Sam and smiled warmly. “Hi Sam.”

“H-hi.” Sam felt his chest squeeze at hearing her voice, and tried to quickly get over it. “Hey! What’s up?”

“Not much, just felt like a drink. You guys want one?” She took a sip of her own drink. “You guys can drink, right?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah.” Abby laughed. “Sebby and I will share one.”

The farmer nodded. “What about you, Sam?”

“Ahah, I don’t drink. I think my mum still thinks I’m 14.” It was embarrassing, the way his mum treated him like a teenager. She seemed so stuck in the time before his dad had left.

She chuckled. “Oh, that really sucks. I’ll buy you a cola then.”

“It’s alri-”

“Be right back.”

Sam watched her walk off to grab another beer. He scratched the back of his neck.  
“Sam.” He turned around. Abby was hiding a smirk behind her hand, while Sebastian was proudly laughing at him. “You look a bit confused.”

“What? No. All good.” He smiled and gave a thumbs up.

“It’s alright if you like her~”

“L-like her?! I don’t like her… like that,” Sam sputtered. Abby just patted his shoulder sympathetically. He wasn’t fooling them.

“Hey guys, got your drink.” The farmer had finally come back, handing the drink over to Abby, who took Sebastian to sit and drink it on the couches in the corner. “Let me just grab that cola for you, Sam.” The farmer walked over to the soda machine and dropped in a few coins. The machine cluttered in a slightly concerning way, then the farmer bent down to pick up the can. She handed to Sam with a smile.

“Thanks,” he said with a big grin, immediately chugging half the can.

She shrugged with an amused smile and they walked over to join Abigail and Sebastian. They crashed on the blue sofa and listened to Abby ramble about the mountain caves and the Prairie King and… swords? The farmer took one look at the way Sebastian casually slung an arm around Abby’s shoulders and the small smile on his face and leaned in to whisper to Sam: “So, are they like… a thing?”

“Yeah, but I never notice anymore. They’ve been together for years. Being the third wheel still kinda blows sometimes though.”

The farmer nodded. “I see what you mean. But I’m here now dude.” She gently punched his shoulder.

Sam was surprised. Did she see him as a friend? Like, he hoped she did but he just couldn’t tell with her. But he relaxed and grinned. He wasn’t opposed to a new friend, especially if it was her. If felt himself shift ever so slightly towards her, their shoulders almost touching. And he sat back, surrounded by friends, and listened to Abby talk about her guinea pig David’s latest antics.

Later that night the conversation was filled with yawns and goodnights and nice seeing you’s. Abby and Sebastian left - together, he noted with a snigger. He was glad Seb had found someone that liked his dark and dingy basement as much as he did, because Sam sure didn’t.  
The farmer turned to him. “I’m heading home too now.”

“Oh! Let me walk you home?” Sam hadn’t seen the farm since she’d arrived, but he’d overheard Marnie and Lewis talk about how well it was coming along. Those two actually seemed to spend a lot of time together…

“Don’t you have to go home? It’s late.”

“Well, yeah. But let me be a gentleman and walk you home,” He replied, tipping an imaginary fedora.

“Never do that again and I’ll let you.”

Sam laughed and gestured towards the door. They walked out into the cool spring night.

“Summer’s coming up soon. What are you planning to grow?”

“Definitely blueberries. They sell for a lot. And maybe a little bit of everything else.”

Sam nodded. He didn’t know much about farming.

“Have you ever tried starfruit? I’m thinking of growing some but they're not cheap. But I heard they make the most delicious wine.”

“I tried it once when I was younger. My dad used to take me to the desert sometimes.” Before he’d left. Sam sighed quietly.

“The desert’s such a nice place. I often go there to collect cactus fruit and coconuts.”

“What? I love cactus fruit!” Sam practically bounced up at hearing that. “I haven’t had any in ages.”

The farmer smiled. “I’ll bring you some back sometime. What else do you like?”

“Hm. Pizza?”

“Everyone loves pizza.”

“You’d be surprised. I’ve met some sickos that hate it. It was kinda traumatising.”

She laughed. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. It must’ve been hard.”  
Sam grinned and nudged her shoulder with his own. He tilted his head away from the cute girl beside him to look up at the night sky and feel the cool breeze against his face. Cute? Did he think she was cute? She was kinda very pretty..

“It’s kinda cold, huh?” The farmer said, crossing her arms.

“You want my jacket?” Sam asked, sliding it off his arms and holding it up to her.

“Oh! Thank you.” She let Sam place it over her shoulders, then slipped her arms into the warm jacket.

“No problem.” They walked past the bus stop. “Man, I heard the bus stop got fixed overnight. How does that even happen?”

“Haha, no idea.”

“Oh well. Good business for Pam. Have you met her? Oh, wait, you said you’ve gone to the desert. Nevermind.” Sam scratched the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Yeah she’s… a character?”

“For sure.”

They walked a bit in comfortable silence til they finally made it to the farm. Sam looked around at the big red barn, the coop, the last of the spring crops almost ready to harvest. He remembered back to when he, Sebastian and Abby would wander the old farm night , wading through the overgrown grass and tripping over cut-down tree trunks. They were so certain that it was haunted. Well, Abby was, at least.  
But Lewis and Marnie were right. It had come a long way, all thanks to the girl standing proudly next to him.

“The farm looks great! You did all this by yourself?”

“Well, Robin built the coop and barn, but yeah!”

“That’s pretty cool.”

She beamed at him. “Thanks. Do you wanna come in for a cup of tea?”

Sam pulled out his phone to check the time. Way past ten. There was already a text from his mum asking where he was. “I would, but my mum will start blowing up my phone if I don’t get home soon.”

“Alright. Here’s your jacket.” She peeled it off and handed it over to him. They’re hands brushed against each other and they smiled.

“Well, see ya,” he said, giving her a wave.

“Bye,” she said, waving back.

Sam turned and slipped his jacket on, just subtly smelling like the farmer. He walked home with a big grin on his face.


	4. Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys hope y'all doing well. Think I can fit "She turned the colour of the communist manifesto" into this story?

Sam stood outside the farmer’s house, the summer sun glaring down at him. It was in good shape, but he could see signs of construction and a lot of wood piled up next to the house. He knocked on the cherry red door, hearing the whole house creak with it. He waited a few minutes, but here was no reply. He let out a slightly disappointed breath and turned around to leave. 

“Hey! Sam!”

He swung around again and saw the farmer jogging towards him from across the field. She came to a stop in front of him, a sheen of sweat on her forehead and her hair ruffled. She smiled at him, and his stomach twisted and turned in reaction. “Did you need something?”

“Oh. Uh. Did I interrupt your work?”

“Nah, I was just coming back from Robin’s. I miiiight be getting a bigger house.” She seemed proud, her hands planted on her hips. 

“Nice! Did you see Seb?”

“Yeah, he practically pounced on me when he heard that I had a frozen tear in my backpack.”

Sam laughed. He had no idea what a frozen tear was. 

“So, what’s up?” She asked.

“Um, My mum wants you to come to dinner. I don’t know why, probably something to do with the flower dance but - no, come on, don’t laugh. I don’t know what she’s thinking.” He rubbed his neck, feeling kind of hot.

The farmer stifled her giggles. “Sure. Tell her I’ll be there.”

“She also wants to know if you could bring a largemouth bass…” 

“None of you know how to handle a fishing rod, huh?”

“Oh man, don’t say that. If my dad was still here he would immediately challenge you to a fish-off.”

“Do you want the fish or not?” 

“Okay, okay,” Sam grinned. “So… I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’ll see you.”  
___

Sam’s heart was pounding slightly. He was seated at his dinner table, the farmer next to him, Vincent directly across from him. His mum stood at the stove, finishing up the food, while Vince babbled at the farmer.  
The farmer wore a simple dress, her hair more tamed than it had been earlier. He thought maybe she had a bit of makeup on, because something about her features just seemed more striking than usual. His gaze drifted down to her lips, but he quickly turned away after she looked at him, making eye contact. He continued to listen in amusement as the farmer entertained his baby brother. 

“Sam, can you help me bring dinner to the table?” Jodi asked. 

“Yes ma’am.” Sam got up and grabbed two plates from the counter, for him and the farmer. Walking back to the table he glanced at the farmer. She was laughing at something Vincent had said, her eyes glittering. She seemed so at home for a second, as if she had always been here. 

Then he tripped. 

Almost falling right on his face, desperately holding the plates up so no food fell off.  
“Sam!” The farmer rushed over to him.

“Sam? Are you okay?” His mum asked, concerned. She took the plates off him and put them down on the table. Vincent was looking at the scene in confusion.

“Yeah, I just tripped over my own feet. No worries.” 

Jodi shook her head. “Be more careful.”

Sam turned to the farmer, who was crouched down next to him. Her worried look had softened and she held out her hand. He took it and she helped pull him up.  
“Don’t go around doing that. I think your mum almost had a heart attack.” Jodi chuckled behind them. 

Sam dusted off his clothes and felt his face flushing with embarrassment. The farmer was the very last person he wanted to look like such an idiot in front of. She patted his head, amused at his red face. “Hey!” He swatted her hand away, their giggles devolving into laughter.  
Sam could feel his mum and brother watching, Jodi especially had an intrigued look on her face. The look of a knowing parent.

After everyone had sat down again and began eating, Jodi started her interrogation. “So, are you dating Sam?”

Sam almost choked on his food. “M-mum!” He coughed out.

“No, I’m not,” The farmer replied, with a side glance at Sam. 

“Are you sure? You two were dancing close at the flower dance.” Jodi noticed the way the farmer flushed, and smiled. “Oh, don’t worry. You can tell me.”

Jodi and the farmer went back and forth for a bit, Sam spacing out from their conversation. He looked at Vincent, who was bored and picking at his food. Sam flicked some of his food at Vincent, who flicked some back. Soon they had started a mini food war. 

“Sam stop encouraging Vincent to play with his food. We have a guest over,” Jodi scolded, after Vincent had accidentally sent some flying at her. She wiped it off her sleeve. “How’s the farm?” she asked, turning back to the farmer. 

“It’s good.”

“Oh, that’s lovely. Do you like baking? I love chocolate cake myself. I don’t remember that old house ever having a kitchen. Have you talked to Robin lately?”

“I like Robin,” Vincent piped up. “Demetrius showed me a cool plant once.”

Jodi nodded. “Are you coming to the luau? What are you bringing? I think everyone will be expecting you after the last festival. I heard from Marnie that Lewis was raving after your little stunt. Oh, they think they’re slick. I’m sure you could win him over with some hot peppers. Are you growing any of those?”

Sam looked over at the farmer. She seemed a bit off. Listening to his mum chatter on some more, he realised she was overwhelmed. He felt guilt shoot through him when he noticed the stressed way she gripped the fabric of her dress.  
“Uh, she has to go home now!” Sam stood up, interrupting his mum. “Busy day on the farm tomorrow.” He looked at the farmer and titled his head up, telling her to stand up. 

“Ah, okay.” Jodi said, getting up from her seat as well. She reached out and squeezed the farmer’s hand. “Thanks for coming!”

“Thanks for having me. Dinner was delicious,” the farmer replied, slightly confused by what was happening.

Jodi smiled and waved as Sam steered the farmer out the door. He took her out front to stand by the river again. 

“Sorry about my mum. I know she's pretty forward.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s just- I guess she just wants to know that I’m grown up. Things have been hard for her since dad left.” He looked down at the flowing river, moonlight glancing off it. He saw the farmer nodding out of the corner of his eye. She reached out and took a hold of his hand.  
Sam tilted his head up and shrugged. “I miss my dad. A lot. And I have no idea what to tell Vince when he asks when dad’s coming home.” 

“I… miss my grandpa. I’m glad I got to see him before he passed but it’s just… scary. I don’t want him to never come back.” Her voice broke. “And with what I do for work…”

“Wait, what? What do you mean?”

“Nevermind. I just miss him.” Her other hand swiftly swiped across her eyes, getting rid of the evidence of tears. 

Sam squeezed her hand. Everyday he hears reports of war, of the terrible things the Gotoro Empire is doing. “... What am I supposed to do if he never comes back?” He accidentally murmured out loud.

The farmer looked at him with knotted brows and a worried look in her eyes. The way she moved closer to him and pressed her head against his shoulder gave an answer. There’s not much he could do but feel her heart beating against his side and listening to the crickets and the rushing river. Behind them, the lights of his house turned off one by one. Sam wondered if his mum knew that they were out here.  
“Do you want me to walk you home?” He asked, looking down at the farmer.

“No, I think I know my way home” she grinned, but her voice sounded a bit wobbly. She pulled away from him. “Well, bye Sam. I had fun talking with your family tonight. And you.”

“I’m glad you came,” he said softly. “Bye” 

She waved and walked off towards the forest, into the darkness. 

Sam entered his house and quietly trod to the kitchen. His mum was still there finishing washing up the last of the dishes, heavy bags under her eyes. He nudged her out of the way, picking up a soapy plate. She dried her hands before cupping his cheek. “Goodnight honey.”

“Night mum.”


	5. Moonlight Jellies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is sponsored by Joja Corporation™. Enjoy!

The cold water washed over his feet as the scorching sun beat down, the cicadas chirping endlessly. Sam leaned back onto his elbows, digging them into the sand. He groaned. As much as he loved summer, today was too damn hot. He could really go for an ice cold Joja cola. Or maybe an ice cream. Was Alex manning the ice cream stand today? His brain felt fuzzy from the heat. He wondered how the farmer was dealing with it.  
Sam hadn’t seen or heard from the farmer after the whole dinner event. He’d considered sending her a letter or just visiting her farm but something held him back from doing it. After seeing her just looking so… sad, he felt bad. And her not reaching out to him made him wonder if he had pushed her away by bringing all that stuff up.  
So he tried not to think about it. He’d been spending his time helping out Penny and playing with Vincent and Jas, going to work and trying to talk to Shane while getting ignored. Still, he wasn’t able to get his mind off her.

He tried to push her out of his mind again. Looking to his right he watched Vincent splashing in the ocean with Jas. He cracked up when Vincent reached over to dunk Jas into the water, and ended up just belly flopping. A concerned but amused voice called out to Vincent to ask if he was okay. Sam looked behind him to the back of the beach, where Penny sat in the shade of the trees, reading. She had agreed to hang out and help him watch the kids - mostly because she enjoyed spending time with them, but also because she knew as well as he did how absent-minded he could be at times. 

Sam pulled out his phone. 4pm. He stood up, brushing the sand off and wandered over to Penny. “Hey, I’m gonna head over to the Saloon now. You all good?” 

She smiled. “Of course. Bye Sam.” 

“See ya!” He waved to Vincent and Jas, who waved back wildly, and started walking into town. 

He stopped by his house to freshen up, then met up with Abby and Sebastian for a game of pool. 

“When was the last time you saw her?” Abby asked, leaning against the pool table. 

Sam pulled his cue stick back, wondering which ball to hit.“Uh, about three weeks ago?” 

Abby shook her head. “You probably did scare her off.”

Sebastian grunted in agreement, before swiftly winning the game. Exasperated, Sam set his cue stick down and ran a hand through his spiky hair. “That’s not helpful. I thought you two would know something about this stuff.” He shot them a look.

They both went slightly pink, but Abby shrugged. “What do you expect?”  
Sam grabbed a Joja cola from the soda machine and sat down on the couch, Abby and Seb quickly joining him. “Have you seen her lately?”

“No,” Sebastian replied.

“We know, Seb.” 

“Hmm…” Abby sat back, leaning against Sebastian. Sam looked at her expectantly. “She did come to the shop a few weeks back. I think she told dad something about visiting Zuzu City. Apparently she hasn’t come back yet.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“You didn’t ask.” 

Sam rolled his eyes and took a swig of his cola. So the farmer was out of town. It’s good to know she wasn’t actively avoiding him.

“The moonlight jellies are coming on Sunday. Are we ever going to push Lewis in?” Abby implored. Sebastian snickered.

“Did the farmer even see the jellies last year? They’re so pretty…” Sam murmured, rubbing his neck.

“Who? The farmer or the jellies?” Sebastian asked, with an air of mock innocence.

“Uhhh…”

“Guys! Are we pranking Lewis or not?” 

“No. I don’t want any community service hours.”

“Sebby-”

Sam watched his friends bicker, feeling jealousy rise in him as he saw how comfortable they were around each other. Even Sebastian was being affectionate in his own way. He sighed and drained the rest of his Joja cola. 

___

“Vince! Be careful, I don’t feel like getting in trouble,” Sam warned, urging his little brother away from the dock. He was one strong gust of wind away from falling face first into the cold, dark water.   
Everyone was gathering on the old dock, excited to see the moonlight jellies once again. But the farmer wasn’t in sight. Sam felt a bit disappointed. He kinda missed her. But he tried to move on from it. He stood and talked with Penny while Vincent and Jas ran up and down behind them. His mum stood with all the other adults, on the other side of the dock. Abigail and Sebastian stood together at the end of the dock on his side. They were not-so-secretly making out. Sam guessed that they thought no one could see them in the dark. 

Bored, Sam looked around and saw someone crossing the beach, heading towards the tide pools. With the rest of the town already waiting for the arrival of the jellies, he knew exactly who it was. He turned to Penny, who was gazing off into the night. “Hey, uh, Penny? Can you watch Vince for a sec?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” He dashed off after the farmer, crossing the small wooden bridge and reaching up to her.

“Hey farmer,” he called out. She turned around and smiled. He hesitated when he saw that the smile wasn't reaching her eyes, but noticed the makeshift wooden boat and candle she was carrying. “Why aren’t you joining everyone?” 

“I’d rather be alone.” Her voice was quiet and gravelly. “I did this last year.”

Sam looked at her in surprise. “I didn’t notice you.” She shrugged at that. “Um, can I join you? I got stuck with babysitting my brother and I’d… rather spend time with you.”

The farmer was silent. Her brows furrowed for a second before her face softened again. “Yeah, okay.” 

Sam perked up, and walked with her to the other dock, telling her about his day. They sat on the dock, dangling their legs off the edge. Sam continued to ramble as she lit the candle and pushed her boat out right after they saw Robin’s floating out into the sea. He grew quiet as the jellies came out. They floated around them as Sam watched, mesmerized. Every year he forgets just how magical it is to experience the moonlight jellies. 

But he notices that the farmer is just staring blankly at the jellies, nothing in her eyes.   
“Hey, uh, you okay? Where have you been all this time? I thought I had--” Sam laughs awkwardly, “I thought I had scared you away or something.”

“I was visiting Zuzu City,” she says. But she ignores the first question.

“I used to live there. I’ve got some nice memories. Do you have family there?”

“Yeah, I do.” But she doesn’t continue.

Sam stays quiet, but doesn’t take his eyes off her. He reaches for her hand, which is gripped tightly in a fist, but quickly draws back when she pulls her hand away. 

They sit in silence for a while, Sam leaning back and watching the jellies pass by. Eventually, her shoulders loosen and she puts her hand back down, inviting Sam to hold it, which he gladly does. 

“The jellies are so beautiful,” the farmer says, the blue lights of the jellies illuminating her face and dancing in her eyes. 

Sam watched her brushing her hair behind an ear, with a gentle smile. “Yeah.”

They look at each other, the lights bouncing off them as Sam leans in towards her. Her eyes are bright and she’s smiling. His heart is pounding and he’s leaning into her and his eyes are closing and-

“Oh, Sam..” 

The farmer moves back. She looks almost miserable as he pulls back in confusion. “I’m sorry but… just not now…” 

Sam’s face reddens. His eyes burn, tears threatening to line them, and a lump forms in his throat. He swallows. “Oh. No worries.”

She stands up, not looking into his eyes, desperately trying to avoid his face. “I’ll… see you around.” 

And she leaves. 

Turns her back on him as he stares out into the ocean, each of her footsteps on the old dock sending a flash of pain through him. 

He stays and watches the jellies drift away, their lights fading. Hearing everybody leaving the beach. Jodi calls his name out into the night, then assumes that he'd just gone home already. 

Sam drops his head into his hands, eyes filling with embarrassed and rejected tears, hands tightly gripping his blonde hair. Waves gently lap against the shore, as the moonlight jellies float away, continuing their long journey south.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol


	6. Zuzu City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The farmer visits the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to update!
> 
> This chapter is set after the dinner at Sam's but before the moonlight jellies. It's also from the farmer's perspective. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The bus doors shuttered to a close. The farmer shrugged off her jacket while plopping down onto a stained bus seat. It had been cooler and foggy this morning, and she found the way dew dripped off her blue jazz garden reminiscent of her old apartment, and the tiny squashed “garden” she had built on her balcony. As embarrassing as it was, she had been proud of her first bloom. It stood out against the background of a concrete jungle. Eventually most of her garden died during summer, when she was too busy working overtime at her job to tend to them. They were all gone by autumn.  
But summer was beginning again and it was heating up quickly. There was already a line of sweat forming on her forehead in this unairconditioned, empty bus. The driver wasn’t Pam this time, unfortunately, because Pam didn’t make bad conversation. But Pam also didn’t make trips to Zuzu City, only to the desert. The driver was an older man who had eyed her grumpily before chucking his cigarette out the doors. She looked at the ‘No Smoking’ sign on the bus wall. Okay.

Well, here she was. Leaving her farm in the hands of Marnie - who had then hired Shane - while she went on a trip to the city. She pinched the bridge of her nose. She’d left the city for a reason. The farmer breathed in the musty air of the bus, sitting back as the vehicle started moving. She pressed her forehead against the cool window, though it wasn’t very relaxing with the vibrating and the bouncing.   
Her eyes drooped, heavy, not from lack of sleep but from the pure exhaustion that came with planning for a trip. Bags packed, hotel booked, bills paid. She couldn’t wait to crash onto the crisp, white sheets of an air-conditioned hotel room. She put her earphones in, hit shuffle and curled up in her seat, ready for the long ride.

___

Cold air rushed out of the AC, sending goosebumps up the farmer’s arms. She was face down on the bed, her shoes kicked off and suitcase dumped somewhere on the floor. The curtains were drawn, the lights were off and her body was begging to sink into the mattress and not resurface til morning.   
Unfortunately, at that moment her phone rang.   
“Hi mum.” She mumbled into the phone.

“Hi sweetheart. Are you at the hotel?” Her mum’s strained voice echoed back to her.

“Yeah. I’ll see you soon.” The farmer said a quick goodbye and hung up, chucking her phone down on her bed. She dragged herself up and peeled off her sweaty clothes, then hopping into an ice cold shower. The water ran over her scars and curves, for now washing away her exhaustion. She slipped into something more comfortable, grabbed her bag and phone and was out the door.

Another bus ride. It pulled up outside a hospital. The farmer stepped out, looking up at the looming building in front of her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and walked inside.

She stood at the reception desk. “Um, I’m here to see…..” The pounding in her head drowned out her own voice. She dug through her bag for a painkiller while the receptionist typed a name into the computer. She popped the pill in her mouth dry.

“Room 56.”

“Thank you.”

The farmer made her way through the building, past the sick and the crying and the tired parents trying to get their kids to be quiet. She walked past rooms of murmuring doctors, and wandered through empty halls. Room 56. Gently pushing the door open, she peered inside. The room was white, scrubbed clean. It smelled of cleaning supplies. A vase with a single flower was placed on the bedside table, a window directly above it facing out onto the car park. Her mum sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed. Her dad was lying in the bed, looking right at the farmer.

“Hi baby,” Her dad wheezed, shifting around to try to sit up. Her mum placed a pillow behind his back. The farmer closed the door behind her and stood at the foot of his bed.

“Hey dad…” She forced herself to look at him. He was hunched over, more lines in his face than he’d ever had. There were heavy bags under his eyes but he still gave her a faint, loving smile. Then it dissipated, and he lay back down covering his eyes. “... How are you?”

“Getting better,” He replied. But her mum shook her head with a sigh. “The light’s giving me a bit of a headache is all.”

Her mother turned to face her. “So honey, when are you coming home?”

The farmer was taken aback. “What? What do you mean?”

“I mean, you- you’ve spent your time at the farm, I’m sure it’s pretty and the people are lovely but I think you can come home now. Maybe get a nice apartment near us and go back to Joja’s? They paid nicely.” Her voice wobbled.

“Mum, I live on the farm. I work there full time. I can’t just come back. And Joja _didn’t_ pay well. I could barely get by!”

“It’s not good for you out there. You probably don’t have a support system. I remember how you were acting before you left. You could barely get out of bed and you wouldn’t talk to us or your friends! How are you going to cope when your father dies?”

The farmer stayed in a shocked silence. She looked at her dad, eyes wide. He seemed to have tapped out, staring blankly at the ceiling and not taking in a word they were saying. Maybe he just didn’t want to hear it. Her mum had turned away from her, and was now staring intensely at the wall with tears in her eyes.

Her mum was mourning. She was mourning before her husband was gone so when it was over she could pick up the pieces. Grandpa was gone and grandma was long gone. She didn’t have any family to lean on. Other than her daughter. The farmer bit the inside of her lip, eyes welling up. Her dad was dying. Her grandpa was dead. She had a hurting mum and no more friends left. She crossed her arms, gripping them tightly. “I’ll… stay a few more weeks.” Her mum nodded. Her dad didn’t react.

“I’m going to go back to the hotel now.” She looked at her parents, now smaller and weaker with age and grief. She took a hesitant step towards them, then just… turned around and walked out.

No more buses. She was _sick_ of buses for today. So she decided to walk. Her feet pounded against the hot pavement, the heat boiling her alive. Someone bumped into her. A man sweared at her from across the street. She stopped by a fast food restaurant. She hadn’t eaten since early morning. Her stomach was empty and she felt queasy, but she just wasn’t. It was fine. She was fine, she told herself.   
The farmer made it back to the hotel. She stripped everything off and got into bed, AC blaring again. She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts, searching for anybody to talk. She hadn’t talked to him since she left Joja. Hadn’t talked to her since grandpa died. Hadn’t talked to any of these people in over a year. Would they even pick up? Would they reply to her texts? She chucked her phone back down.

Sam?

She picked up her phone again. Did she have his number? Why did she never get his number? Out of everyone in the world he was the only person that would’ve picked up. She crushed the pillow in her arms, letting out a loud sob. She buried her face in it, wetting it with her tears. Her mind filled with thoughts of the blonde boy. His smile and his laugh and how sweet he was to her. She weakly smiled into her pillow while the tears poured.   
Maybe she would bring him back some cactus fruit?


	7. Sam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam has to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at midnight. Sorry if there's typos :)
> 
> This is back at Sam's perspective, after the jellies.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> (formatting rlly do look better in google docs 

“Sam. Get up.” Sebastian nudged his head. Sam groaned and swatted him away. “Abby’s coming over. Go home.”

Sam turned over, blinking blearily at the ceiling. Sebastian shuffled around him, kicking clothes under his bed. Almost a week since the moonlight jellies. Almost a week he’d been crashing at Seb’s. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes. He watched Seb rush around the room, making it as clean as possible for Abigail. Sam grimaced. Not because of Abby and Sebastian, but because the way they catered to each other and cared so sincerely felt like a stab to the heart. He should give them their space.

Sam grabbed his phone. He didn’t have anything else other than the clothes on his back. “See ya Seb.”

“Take a shower.”

Sam gave a weak grin, staggering up the stairs out of the dark basement.  
Robin was behind the counter. She looked surprised to see him. The only times he’d left the basement was late at night for the bathroom. But Robin quickly wiped the surprise away. “Have a good day, Sam.”

“Thanks, you too.”

As Sam opened the door, Demetrius came through. He also looked shocked. He and his wife shared a quick look; Sam didn’t bother to see what message they passed between each other. “Bye Sam. Tell Vincent that I’ve found another interesting plant.” His face had softened into a friendly but firm smile.

“Will do, sir.”

The door closed behind him. Can’t go back into hiding now. The bright sun shone into his eyes. Sam held his hand over his eyes. The trees were turning orange and red shades as Autumn began. Fallen leaves crunched under his shoes. He stared down at the dirt path.

“Hey, Sam.” It was Maru. She smiled at him. “Were you at home this entire time? I didn’t see you once!”

“Haha, yeah…” Sam avoided looking into her eyes.

“Sorry if you heard me tinkering late at night. I’ve been working on something important lately.”

“Oh no, you’re good.”

“That’s good. By the way, Penny’s been looking for you. I’ll see you later, Sam.” She gave a small wave and continued walking past him.

 _Penny, huh?_ He hadn’t made any plans with her that he knew of. Maybe she was just worried that she hadn’t seen him around, but they didn’t spend as much time together as they had when they were kids. It doesn’t matter. He’d text her later. Sam walked past the community center. A crumbling old building. Not as grand as Lewis said it used to be. He crossed through the town square and went through his back yard. Sam stood in front of his blue house for a second, before opening the door and walking in.

“Sam!” There was his mum, standing in the living room, angry. “Where have you been?”

“Sebastian’s.”

“I called Robin earlier, she said she hadn’t seen you.”

“Yeah, they only saw me once.”

His mum looked mortified. “I’ll have to call Robin up and apologise for you. You could’ve texted me! You’re an adult now Sam, and you need to act like it.”

Sam gritted his teeth, shoving his clenched hands into his pocket. “Then why won’t you treat me like it?”

“What?”

“I know I should’ve called or texted but just- just let me do things. I can’t be drunk and I can’t stay out late and I can’t have a girl over without you battering her with questions about whether or not we’re dating!”

Jodi had hurt plastered on her face. Sam felt a pang of guilt. He meant everything he said he just didn’t want to hurt his mum with it.

“Mum, I just… want you to know that I’m not a kid and... I’m going to be okay.” His body slumped. His eyes were heavy. He wasn’t mad, he was just so drained. “... I know, Sam.” Jodi held out her arms. “I’m sorry.” He walked into her arms, burying his face in her shoulder. She stroked his messy blonde hair. Her son was hurting. Jodi pulled back. “I’m going to get started on dinner. You take a shower.” She patted his shoulder. Sam nodded, treading to the bathroom.   
He stripped off his sweaty, stinky clothes as the shower stuttered on. The warm water ran down his back and splashed into his eyes. He turned the shower off and grabbed a towel. He didn’t feel any better, but at least he was cleaner. Sam pulled on some comfy clothes and crashed onto his bed. He could fall asleep right then and there. But first: Penny. He unlocked his phone.

_\- hey penny_

_Sam! Where have you been?_

_\- sebs_   
_\- maru said u were looking for me_

_Yes. I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out soon._

_\- sure  
_ _\- tmrw?  
_

_Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow Sam._

_\- cya penny_

Sam yawned, his eyes growing heavier. He quickly went to Contacts, scrolling down. _Is she there….?_   
Sam felt a pang of disappointment. Of course he was too dumb to get her number. Did he even wanna know what she would say to him? What would he say to her? He chucked his phone down next to him. It didn’t matter. He was tired and he was going to sleep. Then tomorrow he was going to see Penny. No time to think of the pretty farmer down the road. He rolled over and closed his eyes, pushing any thoughts of the farmer out of his mind.


End file.
